The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1887-12-31
servants. I could not do that Mrs
praine ssndl thsm aH,y fsQp her when
thev cSi,se Nth wistfIil look and piteous,

thsy Cone sisk vi.slal LOOK: Ind piseous,
tear-stained faces. She,says she has not
time to do nurses work. Oh, Charles,
do you suppose my child could ever
appeal to me in vaini"
"There is some truth and common
sense in her view of the matter" said
Mr.. Westbrook, to himself, "but think
she could put on more style as the
saying is"
Katie" he continued aloud, 81 didn't
mean that to hold up Mrs. Draine as
an example in all respects. but in the
matter of appearances, don't you think
you could follow some of her ideas and
profit by theml"
"Charlie! If were to conduct our
household after the style of woman in
her position, you would be bankrupt in
no time Her husband can pay for
nurses, carriages, and so on; he can af-
ford her extravagences, where, were his
income less, it would be an insufferable
burden to him. On the other hand, I
try to obey the dictates of my heart
and be mother to our dear children. /
teach them to look to us with respect
and get love in return. l share their
joys and SORROWS and they confide all in
me, and we are happy. /
ask no moro happiness. You
are doing all that you can
on limited salary. If I kept house as
Mrs. Draine does, everything would be
at skies and sevens."
"What a very common expression,
Katie"
'But It means so much, Charles"
Mrs. Westbrook was in her nursery a
few minutes later, when the one little
maid whom she kept, came hurying up
stairs, wiping her hands on her checked
gingham apron.
"Ma'am," said she, breathlessly eager
to communicate her news ''here's a
dreadful thingw
what is it, LizzieT' asked her mis-
ress.
''Mrs. Draine's nurse has Just been
over, ma'am, a-crylng and a-takin' on
dreadful The poor dear children is
lostr'
"Lostl In city like thisl Impossi-
bler
"But they is, ma'am. There amt
nothin' been seen Of 'em since nine
o'clock this morning. Bridget supposed
they'd run after their mothers carriage
and Mrs. Draine, she supposed they
were safe at home with idget-and
now they amt nowhere! And Mrs.
Draine she's a-goin' into Mysteries awful
and Mr.. Draine swearing fit to take the
top of the ceiling off,"
"Poor creaturew said Mrs. West
brook, softly---and arm in arm with her
husband she went over to the stately
Draine mansion to offer her sympathy
and assistance.
Mr.. Draine's teeth were set together
Ibis eyes were blazing.
'It's what we might have expected"
he said, ''neither more nor less! My
wife gave up the care of little ones to
hirelings, and they have proved as most
worthy of trust as we. might have
known! Louisa" to his wife, eff any
thing serious has happened to our chill
dren the blame will lay at your door"
Herbert, how can you be so cruel
so heartless,' sobbed Mrs. Draine. But
at this moment a face looked in at the
half-open door-a facs so white and
CHASTITY, so full of unexpressed horror,
that Mrs. Westbrook involuntarily held
her breath. The man beck oned to her.
"You are friend of the family"
81 have come to see what good Icould !
do" she hesitatingly answered.
Perhaps, then, you can break the
tidings to the poor woman he whis- |
pered. ''There are two children at the |
Grand Western depot badly hurt-and |
from the descriptions tclegraphed to the
police stations, we fear they are the lost
children of this Mr.. Draine. They had
stolen into freight car, and there fallen
asleep-and on being suddenly reused |
and sent out by a car loader, wandered,
in their bewilderment, directly across
the track of an incoming engine, just |
detachcd from q train. One cannot